Sacred
Area Terrace

Herculaneum,
1957. During excavation.

Looking
north-west across site from access roadway towards the Sacred Area on the south
side of the terraces of the Houses of the Mosaic Atrium, and of the Stags, on
right.Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source:
The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland
Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative
Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence
and use details.

Looking
north-west towards rear of House of the Mosaic Atrium, Ins, IV.30 above the
Sacred Area, centre, with west end of arched buildings described as boat-sheds,
below.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Looking west towards the Sacred Area.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Looking west towards the Sacred Area.

The
Sacred Area was a large terrace with buildings for worship, which were the
shrine of Venus, and the shrine of the four gods.

Under
this terrace, were six of the twelve arches of the beachfront boatsheds, in
which many of the skeletons of the fugitives have been found.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace.

Doorway
to room on the east end of the terrace (1 of 6), probably used as a series of
service rooms, or storerooms.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 1 of 6, west end.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 1 of 6, east end.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 2 of 6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 3 of 6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking west to doorways to rooms 4, 5 and
6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Doorway to room 5 of 6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 5 of 6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Doorway to room 6 of 6.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 6 of 6, east side.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace. Room 6 of 6, west side.

Sacello di Venere. Shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking west towards the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, steps up to the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, doorway to the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, threshold of doorway to the shrine of
Venus.

The
floor of the shrine was a white mosaic bordered by a black band.

Herculaneum,
September 2015. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of Venus.

Herculaneum,
August 2013. Sacred Area terrace, looking north in the shrine of Venus.

Photo
courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

Herculaneum,
1964. Sacred Area terrace, looking towards the north wall in the shrine of
Venus.

Photo
by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source:
The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland
Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative
Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence
and use details.

J64f1184

Herculaneum,
September 2015.

Sacred
Area terrace, masonry podium/altar on the west side of the doorway of the
shrine of Venus.

Sacello dei Quattro dei. Shrine of the four gods.

Restored
after the earthquake in 62 A.D., the temple is dedicated to four divinities, as
evidenced by the lovely archaistic reliefs, perhaps from the Augustan period
(27 B.C-.14 A.D.), recently found and originally fastened to the front side of
the podium standing at the back of the cell.

These
depict Minerva, Neptune, Mercury and Vulcan, all divinities related to the
world of manufacture, trade and crafts.

The
floor of the pronaos (vestibule) and the Corinthian columns are made of cipolline marble; the cell floor is in sectile opus.

Part
of the wooden structure of the roof was recently recovered, dragged onto the
beach below by the force of the eruption.